headsman

Definition of headsmannext

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of headsman Two other men, subjects of excellent Holbein drawings in the show, would keep appointments with the headsman. Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2022 Even if your reality is the headsman’s block! Helen Shaw, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2021 Once upon a time, the queen could have sent rebels to the Tower and the headsman’s block, even relatives—especially relatives. Matt Seaton, The New York Review of Books, 9 Mar. 2021 The British prime minister has assembled a trio of headsmen to sever Britain from the mainland. Vanityfair.com, VanityFair.com, 22 Mar. 2017 Several other leading figures of the period ended their days on the executioner’s block, including the unhappy Comte de Chalais, whose headsman bungled the job and ended up frantically chopping away at his screaming victim with a small hatchet. David A. Bell, Foreign Affairs, 1 Mar. 2012
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headsman
Noun
  • Pine has been chosen, unconsciously or not, by Roper as his heir and executioner.
    Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 3 Feb. 2026
  • Her husband is the judge, jury and executioner.
    Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 1 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The classic effigy comes with a free hangman’s noose or lasso.
    Jack Handey, New Yorker, 17 Nov. 2025
  • Eleven white men stood on the gallows with him—the hangman, the trigger-puller, officers of the law, the priest.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Childfree Trust partners with a trust company to offer childless individuals and couples medical and financial power of attorney and the ability to act as executor and trustee of the estate.
    Medora Lee, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
  • What happens if there is no executor named?
    Liz Weston, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The show’s initial cast, all of whom were writers as well, featured a murderer’s row of comic talent in Candy, Joe Flaherty, Levy, Andrea Martin, O’Hara, Harold Ramis and Dave Thomas; Moranis joined later in the show’s run, as did Martin Short.
    Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
  • On Monday, a jury found Townsend guilty of endangerment and concealing a homicide, but the murderer is still out there.
    Jermont Terry, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Headsman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headsman. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.

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